As are generally known in the telecommunications field, gateways are points of entrance to and exit from a communications network. Viewed as a physical entity, a gateway is that node that translates between two otherwise incompatible networks or network segments. Typically, gateways perform code and protocol conversion to facilitate traffic between data paths of differing architecture. A wireless media gateway (WMG) facilitates the flow of traffic between what is commonly known as a radio access network (RAN) and a PDN and/or a public switched telephone network (PSTN).
The RAN performs the radio functionality of a mobile network and often provides a connection to a core network (CN) that includes infrastructure for integrating circuit and packet switched traffic. The RAN typically includes a radio network controller (RNC) which carries traffic to/from the RAN, e.g., in an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM). For routing this traffic over the PDN, the WMG which is typically part of the CN is responsible for converting or transcoding the ATM traffic into a real-time transport protocol (RTP), user datagram protocol (UDP), Internet protocol (IP) or other protocol that is appropriate for the PDN.
While generally adequate for their purposes, many previously developed WMGs are limited in certain respects. In some instances, for example, previously developed WMGs can handle no more than two terminations per context, and/or may not support topology operation. Furthermore, the provisioning of tones (e.g., ring tones, hold tones, etc.) in some previously developed WMGs results in relatively inefficient use of resources as compared to the approach of the present application. That is to say, with some previously developed WMGs, a separate tone source channel is allocated to each call session for the duration the tone is being provided. Accordingly, terminations that could otherwise be used for bearer traffic are encumbered to provide the tones from the separate tone source channels.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved WMG and/or technique for operation of the same that overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.